Thrissur: The Thrissur Town East Police on Saturday arrested seven persons who robbed gold ornaments worth Rs 1.8 crore while it was being moved from a jewellery manufacturing unit in Kokkalai on the night of September 8.
The accused are Anthikkad native Kannampuzha Veettil Bronson (33), Thottppal native Pullamplaavil Vinil Vijayan (23), Manalur native Mongadi Veettil Arun (29), Arimbur native Kolothuparambil Nidhin (23), Kanjanni native Chattupurakkal Vivek (23), Olari native Kochathuveettil Rajesh (42) and Chalakkudy native Moothedath Sumesh (38).
The second and third accused, Nikhil and Giffin respectively and four others, who helped the gang escape after the robbery, are still at large.
The accused had snatched gold ornaments weighing 3,152 grams, worth around Rs 1.80 crore, from two workers of a jewellery manufacturing unit called 'JP Chains' situated at the Dee Pee Plaza Building on TB Road in Kokkalai in the heart of the town.
The workers were carrying the gold ornaments in a bag to the Thrissur Railway Station to be distributed to jewellery shops in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu. The manufacturing unit is situated just 200 metres away from the railway station.
Former employee’s vengeance
According to police, the first accused Bronson was previously an employee of JP Chains. “It was Bronson who used to carry gold ornaments to jewellery shops in the past. It is said that Bronson is yet to receive around Rs 15 lakh from the company for his job. Due to problems only known to the unit owners and Bronson, he was removed from the job recently. He masterminded the burglary to get his dues settled. Further details will be available only after a detailed interrogation,” said a police officer who was part of the investigation.
The police said the accused have a criminal past. The Thrissur Town East Police Inspector C Alavi said that the search for the second and third accused has been intensified.
